Means for automatically controlling supply of gas and water



Patented Sept. 6, I898.

J. S. COE.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING SUPPLY OF GAS AND WATER, 8L0.

(Application filed. Jan. 4, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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NlTE STAT S PATENT FFIC EQ J OHN.S. COE, OF PATERSON, NElV JERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPREME COMBINATION WATER HEATER COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLIJNG SUPPLY OF GAS AND WATER, &c

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,343, datedSeptember 6,

Application filed. January 4, 1298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. COE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means forAutomatically Controlling the Supply of Gas and Water to Gas-HeatedWater-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is especially designed for gasheated water-heatingvapparatusa houseboiler, for examplefrom which hot water is drawn fromtime to time; and its object is to automatically and simultaneouslysupply cold water to the boiler or water-heater and gas to a burner forheating the water while hot-water is being drawn off and toautomatically and simultaneously shut off such supply of cold water andcut off or restrict such supply of gas while there is no such drawingoff.

. The improvement consists in certain combinations, hereinafterdescribed and claimed, for accomplishing this object.

Figure 1 represents aplan of water and gas supply valves and means forautomatically controlling the same embodying my invention. Fig. 2represents a vertical section in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anelevation, partly in section, of a gas-heated house-boiler and awater-heating coil in connection therewith having my invention appliedto the gasburner.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in allthefigures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a valvebox containing thegas-supply valve B and the seat 0 therefor. This valve has in it apartition 0, on one side of which is the gasinlet a and on the othersideof which is the valve-seat C and the gas-outlet b. The valveseat 0is represented as a ring of soft metal, against which the valve B, whichis of the puppet kind, closes upward. Above the valveseat and partitiona there are in the box ports 0, through which, when the valve is open,the gas passes from the inlet to the outlet. The valve-stem is attachedto a spindle B, which works with an easy but close fit through anopening in the bottom of the valve-box, which $eria1No. 665,557. (Nomodel.)

is made thick enough for the said opening to constitute a guide to thesaid stem.

D is what may be termed the water-conduit, which may be of any suitableform to contain the water-supply valve E, as well as the fulcrum F andone armG of the lever G H,

which connects the said valve E with the gassupply valve B, the boxAofwhich is mounted upon a hollow bracket D, forming a part of the samecasting with the conduit D. The said conduit has a water-inlet g, atwhich the service-pipe which supplies the water is to be connected. IThe water-supply valve E is of hollow-piston form and works in acylindrical seat I, which projects upward from the conduit D at theoutlet from said conduit. The said Valve has apertures 01 in its bottom,which are always open, and has ports 6 e in its sides, which are closedby the sides of the cylindrical seat I while they remain therein, butare open when the valve rises high enough to bring them above the seat.The upper end of the said valve is closed, except that it has a smallorifice q to serve' as a vent, as'hereinafter described. a

The fulcrum of the lever G H consists of an arbor which works in bearings in the sides of the conduit D, one of said bearings being astu'ffing-box f, through which the said arbor projects outward to carrythat arm H of the lever which is connected with the stem of the valve13, the said arm H passing freely and without the need of fit through anopening in the hollow bracket D. The interior of the conduit D is shutoff from the bracket D by a cross-partition h in the casting, as shownin Fig. 2, and were it not for the desirability of inclosing andprotecting the connection of the lever with the gas-valve the saidbracket might beentirely open to the air. The connection above mentionedis protected by a screw plug J, (see Fig. 2,) on the removal of which asformed on the upper end of a screw-plug K, which screws into an openingin the bottom of the conduit, and the cavity 1 is also formed in thisscrew-plug.

Attached to the cylindrical upward projection atthe outlet of theconduit D, containing or forming the cylindrical seat for thewater-supply valve E, there is a box L, containin g a movable ann ularseat V for the head of the valve E, the said seat also constituting avalve to the orifice q in the valve E, as will be hereinafter explained.In the box L there are three openings for pipe connections, one of saidopenings to communicate by a pipe j with that part of the boiler orheating apparatus where the cold or supply water enters, another of saidopenings to communicate through a pipe 10 with that part of the boileror heating apparatus whence the hot water is .to be taken, and the thirdof said openings to communicate through a pipe Z with the cook or valvewhence the heated water is to be drawn. I will explain thesecommunications with reference to the example shown in Fig. 3, whichshows an ordinary house-boiler M, from which cold water introduced atthe bottom by the pipe j passes ofi at the top to the top of aheating-coil N, heated by a the said box and to the pipej and being openat the top to the pipes Z. Above the said seat V a coil-spring isapplied between it and a shoulder 1%, formed within the box above theguide V, the said spring exerting a constant downward pressure upon thesaid seat; but to prevent the said spring from depressing the said seatbelow a certain point there is provided a stop, represented as a pin n,which passes through the said seat and its guide V, slots 0 beingprovided in the seat where the pin passes through to permit a certainamount of movement of the latter.

The connection of the arm H of the lever G H with the gas-supply valveis represented as positive, being made by two nuts on a screw-thread onthe valve-stem, one nut above and the other below the said arm H. Theconnection between the lever-arm G and ,the water-supply valve E isrepresented as providing for lost motion between the valve and the saidarm, the said arm having an eye through which the valve-stem E* passesin such manner that the valve may move up and down some distanceindependently of the lever-arm. The lever is provided with a .third armH outside the water-box, and this arm carries an adjustablecounterbalance H to counterbalance the gas-supply valve, with a slighttendency to close the said valve.

The disk E of the water-supply valve E is so adjusted on the stem E* bybeing screwed thereon that while the said disk is seated, as shown inFig. 2, the said valve E has its ports closed some distance below thetop of its cylindrical seat I and the lever G is a little way clear ofthe hub of the disk E. Y

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: So long as there is nowater drawn off at Z the parts all remain in the condition shown in Fig.2 inthe drawings, the water-supply valve being closed and supported byits balancing-disk E resting on its seat, and the gas-supply valve beingalso closed, while the opening remains between the head of thewater-supply valve E and the lower edge of its movable seat V, and sowould permit, if necessary, free circulation through the pipes j and Itand through the boiler and heatingcoil; but when the drawing off atZcommences, although the water-pressure is equal on the under side ofthe water-supply valve and the upper side of its disk E, the draft ofthe water from above the valve E is sufficient to start the said valveand just raise the disk E from its seat. The water from the conduit Dthen flowing under the disk the equilibrium of pressure between thevalve and disk is destroyed and the pressure of the water acting on theunder side of the valve quickly raises it high enough to bring its ports6 above the cylindrical seat I and open them to allow free passage ofcold water to and through the outletj, leading to the boiler or heatingapparatus, to replace the hot water drawn off; but before this openingof the valve E takes place the head of the said valve comes into contactwith the seat V, which is thus made to close the passage through thelatter and so shut off the cold water from the pipes 7t and Z andprevent it from mixing with the hot water which is being drawn. Thisvalve E in moving as above described brings the hub of the disk E intooperation on the lever G H and so produces the opening of the gas-supplyvalve. When the drawing of the hot water ceases and the valve E ceasesto be influenced by the draft, the weight of the valve E, lever-arm G,and disk E, assisted by the counterbalance H, causes the said valve todescend and close the ports 6 e and shut off the cold-water supply, themovement of the lever at the same time closing the gassupply valve.

It is to facilitate the above-described closing movement of the valves EB that the small orifice q is provided in the valve E, the said orificeconstituting a vent for the passage of the water displaced from belowthe valve by its descent. It is to prevent the cold water below thevalve from passing through this vent and mixing-with the hot thepressure-balancing disk E, attached to the valve E, is to prevent thetoo sudden opening of the valve when the drawing of hot water takesplace, such sudden opening being liable to be followed by a reactionaryclosing movement, which might produce the shutting off of the gas.Another object of the said disk is to prevent the accidental opening ofsaid valve by the reaction or throb produced by the sudden shutting offof water at any.

other point in the water system in which this apparatus is placed.

The gas-supply valve B may be so connected with the lever II that whenthe water is not drawing off it may close entirely or be left veryslightly open to keep a small flame at the main burner 0. If arranged toclose entirely, a pilot-burner may be provided near the main burner Ofor lighting the gas therefrom when the valve B opens. The small flamefrom the main burner or that from the pilotburner need not be sufficientto produce a circulation in the coil, as that is not necessary until thewater is drawn at the pipe Z. Of course if no such provision is made forkeeping an igniting-flame at the main burner the ignition of the gasmust be performed by a match at the time of opening the cock in the pipeZ.

An apparatus embodying my inventionfor example, that shown in Figs. 1and 2- being connected at g with the cold-water-supply pipe of a houseor apartment will not interfere at all with the cold-water supply, butpermits the drawing 01f of the cold water at as many points as may benecessary and will not be interfered with by the drawing off of coldwater, anditis this that is an important characteristic of my invention.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an apparatus for automaticallycontrolling the supply of water and gas to a gasheated \vater-heater,thecombination of a gas burner and a supply-valve therefor, a conduit forthe water to be heated, a water-supply valve in said conduit to beoperated by the draft of water therethrough, a box communicating withsaid conduit, and a movable seat in said box for said water-supplyvalve, said box having besides its communication with the conduit threeother openings, viz: one for cold water to the heater, a second forheated water from the heater and a third for the draft of heated water,the first and second openings being controlled by said watersupplyvalve, and a connection between said water and gas supply valves,substantially as herein described.

2. In an apparatus for automatically controlling the supply of Water andgas to a gasconnection between said water and gas sup- 1 ply valves, abox at said outlet-beyond said valve and a movable spring-borne annularvalve-seat in said box, said box having, besides its communication withsaid outlet three other openings, one of which forms a passage for coldwater to the heater controlled by the side passages in the valve, asecond is an inlet for water from the heater and a third is for thedraft of heated water, the head of said water-supply valve operating toclose said movable seat and shut off communication between thecold-water conduit and the said second and third openings while thefirst-mentioned opening is open to the conduit through the side ports ofthe valve, substantially as herein described.

3. In an apparatus for automatically controlling the supply of water andgas to a gasheated water-heater, the combination of a gasburner and asupply-valve therefor, a conduit for cold water to be heated, a hollowcylindrical valve-seat in the outlet of said conduit, a water-supplyvalve consistingof a hollow side-ported piston having a closed head inwhich is a small vent and capable of being moved within said seat by thepressure of the Water in the conduit, a connection between said waterand gas supply valves, a box at said outlet beyond said valve and amovable spring-borne annular valve-seat in said box operating to openand close said vent, said box having, besides its communication with theconduit, three other openings one of which forms a passage for coldwater to the heater controlled by the side passages in the valve, asecond is an inlet for water from the heater and a third is for thedraft of heated Water,

the head of said water-supply valve operating to close said movable seatand shut off communication between the cold-water conduit and the saidsecond and third openings while the first-mentioned opening is open tothe conduit through the side ports of the I valve, substantially asherein described.

JOHN S. 00E.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, L. M. EGBERT.

